Heat-Nets Preview

By MATT BECKER
Posted Apr 15 2012 6:20PM

After struggling on the road against teams with winning records for a month, the Miami Heat picked up a much-needed victory by rallying past a likely playoff-bound opponent.

Any confidence gained with that victory would be lost with an unlikely defeat to the New Jersey Nets.

Hoping to build on their latest win, the Heat look to beat the Nets for a 10th straight time when they meet Monday night in New Jersey.

Miami (42-17) entered Sunday's potential playoff preview against New York at Madison Square Garden having lost eight of nine road games to teams with winning records since the All-Star break. It seemed like it might be headed to another defeat trailing 79-75 with 8:08 remaining before going on a 12-1 run over the next four minutes.

The Heat went on to win 93-85 to clinch the Southeast Division as LeBron James had 29 points and 10 rebounds while Dwyane Wade added 28 points and nine boards.

"It's all about perseverance and just continuing to stay with it," said Chris Bosh, who had 16 points and 14 rebounds. "We know we're a great road team, we just have to go out there and prove it night in and night out and I think we're going to do a better job and continue to play well, and hopefully this will give us some momentum."

Playing in New Jersey should certainly help the Heat, the likely No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, pick up another win away from Miami.

The Heat, winners of 12 straight over teams currently with losing records, have won nine in a row over the Nets (22-39) since a 96-88 loss March 20, 2009.

James, who has personally won 13 consecutive games over New Jersey, has led the way in this season's two meetings, totaling 53 points on 71.4 percent shooting.

The outcomes haven't been close in the five matchups since the start of last season, with Miami outscoring the Nets by an average of 18.0 points, limiting them to 85.8 points per game on 37.5 percent shooting.

New Jersey is one of the league's lowest-scoring teams at 93.5 points per game and is 3-29 when scoring 94 or less. The Heat, who have yielded an average of 87.7 points in their last three games, are 31-3 when allowing 94 points or fewer.

The Nets are coming off another sluggish offensive showing in Saturday's 94-82 loss to Boston. They were tied at 48 at halftime, but New Jersey shot 23.4 percent - including 13.3 percent from 3-point range - after the break.

"They played harder and played better," Deron Williams said. "They took us out of our rhythm, and then we couldn't stop them at the other end."

Williams had 14 assists but missed 9 of 12 shots and scored 12 points. In two games against the Heat this year, the All-Star point guard is averaging 13.0 points - 8.0 less than his team-leading average.

Wade had 13 points in 15 minutes in his lone games versus New Jersey this season, a 108-78 home win March 6.

Furious flurry by James gives Heat win over Nets

By BRIAN MAHONEY
Posted Apr 17 2012 1:33AM

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) LeBron James left the Nets stunned and their coach speechless.

The only people who knew how to describe what they were seeing were the New Jersey fans.

"MVP! MVP!"

James scored Miami's final 17 points in a furious one-man rally, finishing with 37 as the Heat pulled out a 101-98 victory over the Nets on Monday night.

In a game the Heat never led until the final 51 seconds, James willed them to their 10th straight victory over the Nets. With Dwyane Wade resting, James scored those 17 points over the last 4:48 of a game that immediately goes into his personal collection of memorable finishes.

"We were able to grind away and not let it go mentally, and that guy, No. 6, he was pretty good going down the stretch," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "He was sensational. Obviously, he made every big play offensively. I believe it was 17 straight to close the game. That's what an MVP does and we needed it at both ends. But also on a night like this, you can come up with a lot of excuses to not bring that type of performance, but that's not the type of DNA he has inside of him. The Nets played well but we found a way at the end."

Actually, James did.

He wasn't sure he was going back in as the fourth quarter reached its midway point. But once he did, he pushed past the Nets with an array of layups, jumpers and free throws, pulling Miami within 2 1/2 games of Chicago for the Eastern Conference lead.

"We want to win every last game to close it out," James said. "We don't want to lose again the rest of the season. Ultimately we can to continue to get better."

Chris Bosh had 22 points and 15 rebounds for the Heat, carrying them early in the fourth until James checked back in midway through the period and turned what appeared a certain loss into a stunning victory.

Kris Humphries scored 29 points and MarShon Brooks had 24 for the Nets, who played without Deron Williams and lacked the finisher they needed against one of the NBA's best.

"The guy's just so big and strong. We attempted to double team him twice, and he just overpowered our guys, and then when the third defender came, he beat the third defender; and then, when we fouled him, he still scored. So just an . you know . I'm at a loss for words. I don't know what to say," Nets coach Avery Johnson said.

Miami won for the sixth straight time in New Jersey, a road game in name only. James never thought he'd hear cheers on the road again after joining the Heat, but he earned all of them no matter where the game was.

"I enjoyed it," said Wade, resting his ankle while the Heat improved to 12-1 without him this season. "I am a fan of the game, so I enjoyed it. He doesn't get any credit for his scoring ability. I enjoy watching him take over a game like that. It's fun. Obviously being his teammates, it's even funner."

The Nets led by 13 points in the third quarter and were still up seven with under 2 1/2 minutes left, but by then James was almost midway through his finishing kick.

He finally gave the Heat a lead with a driving basket that made it 97-96 with 51 seconds left, then followed with a short jumper for a 99-96 edge with the crowd chanting "Let's go Heat!" Two free throws with 10.6 seconds followed for a five-point lead before a meaningless basket by Brooks with 0.4 seconds to play.

"Good as I thought, good as a video game. He's a good player, you know," the Nets' Gerald Green said. "I thought we had a great chance to beat them anyway even though he played great tonight, but that's just the nature of this game when you face guys like that every night."

The Heat, also resting Shane Battier and Ronny Turiaf, won their third straight after consecutive losses and completed a back-to-back sweep in the New York area following Sunday's 93-85 victory over the Knicks.

A night later, away from the national TV spotlight, had all the makings of a letdown that James wouldn't allow.

"They had a nine-point lead," Bosh said. "We didn't want to let this one go, especially after yesterday, so we just playing, kept chipping away, and you know eventually everything worked out."

The Nets held a small lead for the first two-plus quarters before seizing control with a 16-5 burst. Humphries made a couple of jumpers, Green hit two 3-pointers, and it was 74-61 on Brooks' jumper with 3:10 remaining in the third period.

The Heat answered with nine straight points to cut it to four, but the Nets came right back with five straight, with Green nailing a turnaround 3-pointer from the corner just before the buzzer to send New Jersey to the fourth quarter with a 79-70 lead.

Bosh scored Miami's first eight points of the fourth as James sat the first half of the period, giving him all the energy he needed for the final stretch.

The Nets were also without Gerald Wallace (strained left hamstring) and turned to a lineup heavy with NBA Development League experience that was nearly good enough.

Smoke lingered over the court during the game's opening minutes after fireworks, but it was the Heat who were in a fog. New Jersey made seven of its first 11 shots and took a six-point lead, holding on for a 34-29 advantage after one even though Miami shot 71 percent from the field.

The Nets never gave up the lead in the first half, taking a 55-52 lead into the break behind 17 points from Humphries and 13 from Brooks.

Notes: The Nets held a moment of silence before the game for former center Dwayne Schintzius, who died Sunday at 43 following complications from a failed bone marrow transplant after a 2-year battle with cancer. ... Despite their recent dominance of the series, the Heat will finish will an all-time losing record (24-25) in New Jersey. Miami's top current streak is 11 in a row against Philadelphia, a team it could meet in the playoffs. ... Athletes in the crowd included Victor Cruz, Justin Tuck and Antrel Rolle of the New York Giants, D'Brickashaw Ferguson of the Jets, and soccer star Thierry Henry.

Notebook: Heat 101, Nets 98

Posted Monday April 16, 2012 11:14PM

By Jake Appleman, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: In front of what felt like Miami North, the Nets hit the Heat with their best shot. It was almost enough, but LeBron James, playing without Dwyane Wade, scored the Heat's final 17 points in a 101-98 victory. James finished with 37 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Chris Bosh added 22 points and 15 rebounds for the Heat.

Kris Humphries turned in an excellent, efficient performance (29 points, eight rebounds) for the Nets, who played about as well as they could have without Deron Williams.

QUOTABLE: "We know, no matter who we're playing, if it's in Miami or if it's on the road, we're going to get everybody's best. No matter the records, no matter what's going on. That's why it's a 48-minute game and we wanted to keep plugging away until we was able to take the lead."
-- James, on the game

THE STAT: The Nets led for forty-seven minutes of game action, but lost.

TURNING POINT: James converted a layup on a strong drive past Humphries to give the Heat their first lead at 97-96. Then he scored again -- a floating layup in the lane after absorbing contact -- to put the Heat up 99-96. The Nets' fate was sealed on the ensuing possession when they turned the ball over on a five-second violation.

QUOTABLE II: "I am at a loss for words; I don't know what to say. Our guys played their butts off. It's a winnable game, but we didn't execute offensively down the stretch."
-- Nets coach Avery Johnson

INSIDE THE ARENA: The arena was shrouded in a layer of fog for the first few minutes of action after the Nets used fireworks during pregame introductions. The Nets used the fog as a sixth man, jumping out to a 4-0 lead. ... As has become custom, James was alternately booed and cheered by the Prudential Center crowd. He was also serenaded with an M-V-P chant late in the second quarter. "It was amazing, honestly," James said of the crowd that was almost fully on his side by the night's end. ...Thierry Henry of the New York Red Bulls sat courtside. ... Six NFL players from the Jets and Giants were shown on the Jumbotron. ... Former Nets rosters rotated around the circular scoreboards during a timeout in the fourth quarter.

ROOKIE WATCH: Terrel Harris, starting for Wade, scored seven points while Norris Cole had a nice night off the bench (nine points). For the Nets, MarShon Brooks (a career-high tying 24 points, seven rebounds, six assists) played a stellar offensive game and Jordan Williams finished with a minimalist stat line in his first start, but was a serviceable space-eater in a humming offense.

QUOTABLE III: "Get out!"
-- James, to Harris. Early in the third quarter, Harris was occupying the corner and James wanted him on the other side of the floor. Harris cut to the other corner where James found him with a jump pass. Harris then air-balled a three-pointer.

NOTABLE: The teams hit 21 of their first 31 shots ... Humphries brought the crowd to life with an impressive rejection at the rim of Udonis Haslem ... Gerald Green (15 points) hit three straight field goals after starting out 0-8 in the first half ... DeShawn Stevenson, who has an acrimonious past with James, played 11 minutes.

UP NEXT: For the Heat, Wednesday vs. Toronto, Thursday vs. Chicago, Saturday vs. Washington. For the Nets, Wednesday vs. New York, Saturday @ Milwaukee, Monday vs. Philadelphia.

• Heat: Battier, Turiaf
• Nets: James, Lopez

• Heat: --
• Nets: --

• Lead Changes: 1
• Times Tied: 4

• Arena: Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
• Officials: #19 James Capers, #59 Gary Zielinski, #28 Tommy Nunez Jr.
• Attendance: 18711
• Duration: 2:18